The UFC Bantamweight Title: A Lineal History Infographic

By: Ben DuffyAug 12, 2018

It is impossible to look at the history of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship men’s bantamweight title without
an understanding and appreciation of Dominick
Cruz’s history of injuries; for the first six years of the
division’s existence, Cruz was a recurring apparition, alternating
between dominance and disappearance but always looming over the
proceedings.

With the possible exception of Cain
Velasquez, no champion has missed more of the prime of his
career with injuries than Cruz, and with all due respect to
Velasquez, Cruz was the more dominant of the two. Until his loss to
Cody
Garbrandt at UFC 207, nobody had beaten a healthy Cruz in
nearly a decade, and frankly, only T.J.
Dillashaw had even come close.

It’s fitting that Garbrandt and Dillashaw are Cruz’s main foils. As
Renan
Barao, once the most feared man in the division, has struggled
on the scale as well as in the cage, they have established
themselves as the division’s new breed. Unfortunately, the budding
rivalry between the two, sparked by personal history, genuine
dislike for each other and fan-friendly fighting styles, lost much
of its steam at UFC 227, as Dillashaw scored a second definitive
stoppage over “No Love.” It will be quite some time before
Dillashaw-Garbrandt 3 seems like a must-see fight, if ever.

Fortunately for the division and the fans, there is no shortage of
interesting contenders for Dillashaw’s belt, and a familiar name is
elbowing its way to the front of the line: Cruz, who is still only
32, the owner of a clean bill of health and the author of
Dillashaw’s only loss in his last 10 fights. Whichever direction
the UFC takes with the bantamweight title picture, fans are likely
to get fireworks, as the prickly personalities and clashing styles
that characterize the division’s top shelf continue to play out
against each other.

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